Hacking Question Bricked Switch

[nWo]

Well, today a friend came with a CFW Switch. I have mine with Hekate and SX OS working on 8.0.1 no probs at all. I update directly with other users or using choi., but don`t have the urge to do so.

Okay so he says he was on 8.1 or so, and then manually, with the SX Installer app, installed the 9.1 update in the form of an NSP -.-. It installed everything and it rebooted and cannot access anymore to custom firmware nor stock firmware. It still has Auto RCM on and can inject payloads.

He can still enter the SX and Hekate menu, but when he choose either CFW or stock, it shows the logo, then the battery on the top left corner, and that`s it, black screen. Also, in stock firmware only the Nintendo Logo appears, then black screen.

I have never encountered a problem of this kind, so I`m at a loss at how to help him. He doesn`t have a NAND backup, but he can still access the CFW menus.

Is there a possibility to save this Switch? Or is it doomed already? I think that the ability to enter to the menus at least has to hold some kind of hope.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Draxzelex]

Well, today a friend came with a CFW Switch. I have mine with Hekate and SX OS working on 8.0.1 no probs at all. I update directly with other users or using choi., but don`t have the urge to do so.

Okay so he says he was on 8.1 or so, and then manually, with the SX Installer app, installed the 9.1 update in the form of an NSP -.-. It installed everything and it rebooted and cannot access anymore to custom firmware nor stock firmware. It still has Auto RCM on and can inject payloads.

He can still enter the SX and Hekate menu, but when he choose either CFW or stock, it shows the logo, then the battery on the top left corner, and that`s it, black screen. Also, in stock firmware only the Nintendo Logo appears, then black screen.

I have never encountered a problem of this kind, so I`m at a loss at how to help him. He doesn`t have a NAND backup, but he can still access the CFW menus.

Is there a possibility to save this Switch? Or is it doomed already? I think that the ability to enter to the menus at least has to hold some kind of hope.

Thank you all in advance.

Has he tried booting other CFW like Atmosphere or ReiNX?

 

[KeoniAzugon]

Haven`t come across this issue either but I have come across the black screen after payload logo or Switch logo. By any chance, where there any custom themes installed?
Would Also Recommend creating an EmuNAND and test things there before messing any further in SysNAND

 

[nWo]

Yes I can boot into Hekate and atmosphere but only the menu. I dumped my keys and all but don't know what to do now.

Yes he says there were custom themes installed, dumb move, but afterward erased all the titles folders and started with a new Micro SD only with the necessary files. Still stuck on blackscreen.

About emunand we created one on the SD and also blackscreen. We tried to create emunand on system but there is no space and we have no idea how to erase the games installed there.

Thank you for your suggestions. Hope you can help me .

 

[MasterJ360]

Ive never heard of anyone installing a firmware update as nsp. Thats the only thing that screams a red flag to me to cause this black screen issue. He should have just use Choi to make things more smoother/safer.

 

[GBADWB]

people pack firmware updates in NSP form?

 

[bell1-1010]

Did you install a recent version of hekate?

 

[MasterJ360]

A black screen can be caused by many things, I have a hunch hes probably using an older sxos boot file that doesn't support the new firmware. Its pretty common to forget to update to the latest sxos after updating the switch.

 

[Paulsar99]

You probably just need the latest sx os boot.dat.

 

[Kafluke]

I've never seen a firmware update file in nsp before. Your friend is confused. Do you have a nand backup?

Also yes, you have to update SX OS files to latest beta.

 

[Draxzelex]

Ive never heard of anyone installing a firmware update as nsp. Thats the only thing that screams a red flag to me to cause this black screen issue. He should have just use Choi to make things more smoother/safer.

people pack firmware updates in NSP form?

I've never seen a firmware update file in nsp before. Your friend is confused. Do you have a nand backup?

Also yes, you have to update SX OS files to latest beta.

I thought more people were aware of this but version 2.0 of SX Installer added support for installing firmware files as .NSP files. It goes without saying that DZ shares the same functionality.

Source

 

[Dust2dust]

I thought more people were aware of this but version 2.0 of SX Installer added support for installing firmware files as .NSP files. It goes without saying that DZ shares the same functionality.

OK, but are there real advantages to this new method? Everyone is used to the ChoidujourNX method with the bunch of .nca files, and it works very well most of the time. Why re-invent the wheel? Why fix something that isn't broken?

 

[Draxzelex]

OK, but are there real advantages to this new method? Everyone is used to the ChoidujourNX method with the bunch of .nca files, and it works very well most of the time. Why re-invent the wheel? Why fix something that isn't broken?

It makes the distribution of the firmware files easier. Games aren't naturally uploaded as .NSP files; in reality, they are just a bunch of .NCA files. However its much easier to distribute and install one .NSP file than a plethora of .NCA files. Not that I am particularly defending this format because I prefer it but these are the advantages I objectively see.

Besides, not all alternatives immediately catch on or are regarded as bad. .NSZ files were around for a whole year before blawar implemented support for them in DZ. And even though it saves no installation space, some groups switched their entire collection to .NSZ files even though only one title installer supported them. Although I'm not sure if SX Installer supports .NCA firmware files or not. The changelog is not very clear much like SX OS changelogs.

 

[nWo]

Thank you all.

The SX boot and Atmosphere are on the newest releases. Yes it was on NSP format.

The thing is, we can enter the menu from both SX and Hekate / atmosphere and use all the options there, only prob is that we can't launch the system, not even on stock. He tried RCM-Lockpick and dumped the boot0 and 01 without problems, also a backup of the nand but we can guess they are corrupted or something. But it's a good sign I guess because I have read in many places that some users couldn't even backup their keys or enter RCM mode when their Switch got bricked. I have been looking for a boot repair and found just one but it's got a password and can't be used. Don't know what to do. We tried everything we could at the moment.

 

[bell1-1010]

Thank you all.

The SX boot and Atmosphere are on the newest releases. Yes it was on NSP format.

The thing is, we can enter the menu from both SX and Hekate / atmosphere and use all the options there, only prob is that we can't launch the system, not even on stock. He tried RCM-Lockpick and dumped the boot0 and 01 without problems, also a backup of the nand but we can guess they are corrupted or something. But it's a good sign I guess because I have read in many places that some users couldn't even backup their keys or enter RCM mode when their Switch got bricked. I have been looking for a boot repair and found just one but it's got a password and can't be used. Don't know what to do. We tried everything we could at the moment.

Did you try the recovery mode?

• Turn off the console by pressing the power button on top of the console for five seconds.
• Press POWER button + Volume Up + Volume down at the same time.
• Release all buttons when the Switch logo appears on the screen.
• The console should now be in recovery mode with the option to update.

 

[MasterJ360]

I thought more people were aware of this but version 2.0 of SX Installer added support for installing firmware files as .NSP files. It goes without saying that DZ shares the same functionality.

Source

It depends on the user. I rarely install nsp's in general mainly b/c I just combine them into the said xci. I honestly can't remember the last time I ever used sx installer probably during 2018

 

[Draxzelex]

It depends on the user. I rarely install nsp's in general mainly b/c I just combine them into the said xci. I honestly can't remember the last time I ever used sx installer probably during 2018

DZ also has this functionality.